Where The Best Keepers Played Before Going Pro
From humble beginnings to specialized training, every Soccerista and goalkeeper starts somewhere. So let’s look at the clubs, teams, and schools some of the best keepers in the world played for before they made it big.
Alyssa Naeher
Before making it to the USWNT, Naeher went to Christian Heritage School and was a star from the start. She won just about every accolade–three-time All-State and FAA All-Conference, two-time NSCAA Youth All-American, and Parade All-American. She also had a promising basketball career at Christian Heritage, netting 2,000 points for the team.
Starting in 2006, Naeher played for Penn State, where she continued to win and turn heads. Over her 74 starts for the Nittany Lions, Naeher had 24 shutouts and was named the 2007 Defensive Player of the Year, the same year she made First Team All-American.
Christiane Endler
Endler, currently of Lyon, is considered one of the absolute best keepers in the game, so where did she start?
Endler was born and raised in Chile and took to sports very early, eventually settling on soccer as her true passion. She joined her first club team at ten years old, Stadio Italiano, and even attended a German high school to receive formal training for the game.
It wasn’t until Endler was 15 that she started playing keeper at the advisement of Marco Cornez, the former coach of the U17 Chile national team.
In 2012 Endler was drafted to the states for college to play at the University of South Florida. She started in every game of her first year and was named goalkeeper of the week by AAC and Big East several times each.
Ashlyn Harris
Harris grew up in Cocoa Beach, Florida, and played on the boys club soccer team until she was 14. A few years later, she and the Indialantic Force won the state championship for U17.
She attended Satellite High School and racked up championship titles, accolades, and honors by the dozen. Harris helped her school win the state championship in her sophomore and junior year. In addition, Soccer America named her the number one recruit her senior year. Along with Soccer America’s honor, Harris was also named Gatorade Player of the Year, NSCAA Player of the Year, Florida Player of the Year, Youth All-American, and on and on it goes.
Harris’s time with the North Carolina Tar Heels had many ups and downs. Throughout her collegiate career, Harris suffered two ACL tears and a torn labrum. But she also saw the Tarheels to the NCAA Tournament every year, three of which they won.
Kailen Sheridan
Currently of the San Diego Wave, Sheridan was born and raised in Canada. She played for three youth clubs, Pickering SC, ANB Futbol, and Toronto Lynx.
She started her college career in 2013 with the Clemson Tigers, where she broke records and set precedence. In her 76 appearances with Clemson, she made 28 shutouts. In 2014-2015 she was named to the All-ACC first team. Sheridan’s spot on the All-ACC first team was the first time a Tiger had received this honor since 2007.
Now she’s one of the best keepers in the NWSL, leading the San Diego Wave in their inaugural season.
Adrianna Franch
Last on our list of best keepers is AD Franch. Fans of the USWNT have come to know and love Adrianna Franch over these last few years. It all began back in Kansas. Franch was the starting keeper for Salinas South High School until her senior year when an injury saw her to the bench.
Like Naeher, Franch was also a basketball star off the pitch. She even went as far as first-team All-County and All-League.
For soccer, she earned All-League, All-State, and All-Southwest Region honors. During her high school years, Franch was also selected for the Kansas Olympic Development Program, and her club team, the KC Comets, took home the state championship in 2006.
The next stop for Franch was Oklahoma State University. Franch was vital to Oklahoma. As a freshman, Franch made 11 shutouts and was the key to their second-ever Big 12 tournament win. Franch is now one of the most decorated players in Oklahoma State University soccer and the Big 12 Conference. By graduation, she was named to All-Big 12 first team every season, held the record for shutouts (38), and was named All-American and Hermann Trophy semifinalist twice.
Featured image via Getty Images
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